Method and means for making sliders for slide fasteners



Sept. 4, 1945. M, vbl rv ETAL 2,384,144

METHOD AND MEANS FOR MAKING SLIDERS FOR SLIDE FASTENERS Filed Jan. 14, 1942 4 Sheets-Sheef 1 INVENT 112 MAURICE [IO/T) P 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VO/T) GEORGE A, GRIFF/Tf/S Sept. 4, 1945.

M. vorrY ET AL METHOD AND MEANS FOR MAKING SLIDERS FOR SLIDE FASTENERS Filed Ja .n. 14, 1942 Sept. 4, 1945.

M. VOITY ETAL v 2,384,144 METHOD A ND MEANS FOR MAKING 'SLIDERS FOR SLIDE FASTENERS Filed Jan. 14, 1942 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 MAURICE VOI7II)\JVEMORS I 550565 A. GR/FF/THS 4 OPNEY Sept. 4, 1945. M. VOlTY ETAL 2,334,144

METHOD AND MEANS FOR MAKING SLIDERS FOR SLIDE FASTENERS Filed Jan. 14, 1942 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTORS MAL/RICE, VO/TY GEORGE H.6R/F17THS Patented Sept. 4, 1945 METHOD AND MEANS FOR MAKING SLIDEBS FOB SLIDE FASTENERS Maurice Voity,

Long Island City, and George A.

Grifliths, Kew Gardens, N. Y., assignors to Unlveraal Slide Fastener Co. Inc.,

Long Island City, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application January 14, 1942, Serial No. 428,694

\ 8 Claims.

This invention relates to a method and means for making sliders for slide fasteners.

It has been the practice heretofore to perform some or all of th operations incident to the manufacture of sliders upon individualsliders or slider wing blanks. Due to the fact that the parts on which the operations are performed are very small in dimension and large in number such methods have had the disadvantage of having relatively slow manufacturing speeds and high manufacturing costs.

It is a principal object of our invention to overcome these disadvantages by providing a method and means of the character described in which the slider wing blanks or slider wings, and finally the sliders, are integrally connected to each other throughout successive stages of fabrication so that when a slider is finally severed from an adjacent integrally connected slider the severed slider is completely fashioned and ready for use. In this connection a more specific object of our invention is to provide a method and means of the character described in which slider wing blanks, and later wings, are integrally connected in pairs and simultaneously worked in pairs during all fabricating operations including the attaching step to thereby form pairs of integrally connected but otherwise finished sliders. A further specific object of our invention is to form th integrally connected pairs of slider wing blanks as integral elements of a long strip of such blanks, which strip is either separately or continuously worked in successive operations until pairs of slider wings are severed therefrom.

Other aspects of our invention are concerned with the formation of the individual slider wing blanks and accordingly among the objects thereof is the provision of a rapid, continuous, accurate and economical method and means for shaping a smooth surfaced rail of uniform height along the edges of the wing blanks. Prior to this invention, these rails have either been swaged up to but not beyond a predetermined height, or formed to a greater height than required and then sheared to the desired height by a tool which was reciprocable relative to the slider blank. In the first method, due to unavoidable variations in the cross section of the stock employed, large stresses were imposed upon the parts of the swaging dies which limited the height of the rails. These abnormal stresses greatly shortened the life of the die. Additionally, where the stock cross-section was smaller than required, the rails were not formed to their full height and a slider having such rails allowed slide fastener elements to enter and become wedged between the rails. This caused spreading of-the wings and rendered the slider inoperable. In the second method, which is relatively slow, lagged edges in such smooth condition that no further finishing steps ar required.

An additional feature of our invention resides in the formation of the slider bail and it is a further object of our invention to provide an improved method and means for making a ball of the typ having a. central portion which is sheared from a slider wing and secured thereto by end portions. integral with the wing. Balls of this type include a central web formed'fmm the material of the central portion. Heretofore. during the formation of this web, the dies have often broken one of the bail end securing portions and many defective blanks were mad before the fault dies could be corrected. This difficulty has been overcome in accordance with our invention by locating and controlling th position of the central portion of the ball during the web-forming step.

Another object of our invention is to provide a slider of the character described which shall be rugged in construction and efiicient in use, which shall be inexpensive to manufacture and will lend itself to rapid fabrication.

Other objects of this invention will in part be obvious and in part hereinafter pointed out.

The invention accordingly consists in th features of construction, combinations of elements, and arrangement of parts which will be exemplifled in the construction hereinafter described, and of which the scope of application will be indicated in the claims.

Certain features and incidents of our invention are shown, described and. claimed in the following applications: application Serial No. 446,062 for Method and means for making sliders for slide fasteners, filed June 6, 1942, the same being a oontinuation-in-part of the present application; application Serial No. 446,063 for Method and means for making sliders for slide fasteners, filed June 6, 1942, the same being a continuationimport of the present application; application Serial No. 490,406 for Method and means for making sliders for slide fasteners, filed June 11,

1943, the same being a division of the present application; and application Serial No. 597,110 for a Blank for use in the manufacture of sliders for slide fasteners, filed June 1, 1945, the

same being a division of the present application. In the accompanying drawings, .in which is shown one Of the various possible embodiments of this inventiomanid wherein like numbers refer to like parts throughout,

Fig. l is a schematic perspective view of the dies employed to form rails and attaching-portions on slider wing blanks, th upper and lower dies and blanks being illustrated at the beginning of a forming stroke;

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. l, but showing the parts at the end of a forming stroke, the upper die being removed for clearness;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged transverse sectional view of the rail forming dies taken substantially along the line 33 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of the dies for forming the rails and at- 1 taching portions, said view being taken substan- Fig. 9 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken substantially along the line 9-9 of Fig. "I;

Fig. 10 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken substantially along the line iii-iii of Fig. 8.

Fig. 11 shows a vertical section through an apparatus for shearing bail lugs and indenting the lugs in slider wing blanks, and for cutting off. pairs of connected fully fashioned slider wings;

Fig. 11a is a view taken substantially along the line iIo-iia of Fig. 11 and illustrating the shape of the pressure pad employed in the apparatus disclosed in Fig. 11;

Fig. 12 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken substantially along the line i2-i2 of Fig. 11 and illustrating the dies employed to shear the lug;

Fig. 13 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line !3i3 of Fig. 11 and illustrating the dies employed to indent the lug;

Fig. 14 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the dies shown in Fig. 13;

Fig. 15 is a. perspective view of the dies employed to indent the lug;

Fig. 16 shows top and bottom perspective of pairs of connected fully fashioned slider wings;

Fig. 17 shows an apparatus for welding together the pairs of wings shown in Fig. 16;

Fig. 18 is a schematic perspective view of the dies employed to separate and size connected pairs of sliders in a slider blank;

Fig. 19 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of the dies shown in Fig. 18 and is taken substantially along the line i9-l9 of said figure; and

Fig. 20 shows in perspective a pair of separated completed sliders.

Referring now to the drawings, in Fig. 20 is shown-a pair of sliders constructed in accordance with our invention. These sliders comprise an upper wing 32 from which a ball 34 projects and a lower wing 36. Rails 38 run along the lateral edges of th slider wings. Between the diverging channels 40, the material of each slider wing is directed downwardly to form a substantially v-shaped vertical wall 32 which serves to define the engagement cam employed in sliders of this type. Fiat platforms 44 disposed at the base of the walls 2, serve as attaching portions which, when welded together, Join the upper and lower wings 32 and 38 of the slider and also function as a neck.

Various details may be incorporated in the slider to enhance its appearance, reinforce its structure and provide a. smooth sliding action. For example, the edges 40 of the entering channel and the edges 48 of the diverging channels 40 may be beveled. The outer ends of the platforms 44 may project beyond the extreme ends of the diverging channels All andmay be smoothly rounded oil. A web 50 may be indented from material of the bail34, said web being disposed medially and longitudinally of the bail.

To make the sliders 30, a long strip of sheet metal of suitable composition is first blanked out, for example in a reciprocating press, to form a strip 52 (Fig. 1) comprising a series of integrally connected slide fastener wing blanks M. The shape of these blanks is governed in general by the outline of the wings in the slider ultimately to be produced.

In the preferred form of our invention illustrated herein, the slider wing blanks 5| are similar in shape to the slider wings 32 and 38, but are slightly broader in order to provide material for the rails 38. Each blank I4 is also provided with material 55 from which the neck and attaching portion, including the walls 42 and platform 44, can be shaped. If desired, during the blanking operation bevels I56 and 50 may be formed on the edges of the slider wing blank which will subsequently form the inclined edges 48 and 48 of the entering and diverging channels.

The slider wing blanks 54 are disposed longitudinally of the strip 52 in pairs 60, the blanks in each pair being integrally connected by a link 62 which, during a subsequent stage of operation, will becompletely sheared away. Although for convenience of handling, the individual slider wing blanks 54 in a pair of such connected blanks may be disposed in any desired position.

we preferably connect the portions 55 of the wing blanks by the links 62 in order to facilitate the attaching operation hereinafter described.

In addition to the link 62 integrally connecting the wing blanks 54 in a pair 60, there is also provided a link 64 for integrally connecting successive pairs 60 of wing blanks so as to form the elongated strip 52. It should be noted that both the links 62 and 64 are fully severed from the strip 52 during subsequent operations in the formation of the separate slider wings and sliders, and that therefore these links may be caused to assume any desired shape, or may be omitted altogether, and in which latter case the slider wing blanks 54' will be directly integrally connected to each other.

After the-strip 52 of wing blanks 54 has been made, the rails 38 are formed in a drawing operation, such as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2. This operation, as well as all subsequent operations, is

preferably simultaneously performed on each wing blank of a pair 60 of such blanks. In accordance with our invention, the height of the rails 38 thus formed is made greater than desired in-the finished slider 30 and no attempt is made to control the shape of the upper rail surface. Due to drawing this upper rail surface is considerably roughened along the outer edge thereof, as shown at 88. At the same time the rails are drawn, elongated diamond shaped pro- -tion.

.iections are fashioned from the material ll of the wing blanks and from the links 02. Each end of an elongated diamond 00 is disposed in a diiferent embryonic wing blank 04, and said ends form the V-shaped walls 42 and platforms 44.

We next trim of! therough edges 00 and reduce the rails 20 to their ultimate predetermined height. This operation is performed in accordance with our invention by milling (Fig. 9) a continuous strip I0 of integrally connected pairs OI-of slider wing blanks on which the rails and diamonds have already been formed. Since the milling tool rotates at high speed, it will cleanly remove the extra rail material and will leave no lagged edges which require further finishing.

Each alternate wing blank of the strip II is then provided by a shearing operation (Figs. 11 and 12) with a lug 12 whose central portion I4 is free of the slider wing blank from which it proiects. The ends I0 of the lugs are integrally connected withthe said wing blank. Portions of the central parts I4 of the lugs are next indented (Figs. l3. l4 and 15) to. provide the web 00. Prior to'and during the indenting operation, the slider wing blank 04 on which the lug I2 is positioned is firmly gripped on its upper and lower surfaces. and die means are additionally employed to limit the movement of the said central portion 'I 4 during indentation and web forming.

Subsequent to formation of the web, we shear oi! (Fig. 11) pairs I0 of integrally connected completed wings. Each of said pairs I0 includes one finished slider wing having a bail projecting therefrom and one finished slider wing without a bail. At this time the said pairs I0 have the appearance shown in Fig. 16. It should be noted that the two connected finished slider wings comprising a pair I0 are not used to together make a slider 00, but that each wing in said pair will be used with a wing from another pair to form a slider.

- performed as a continuous process on a strip from which the pairs are finally sheared or they may be separately performed upon a strip which is reeled up after each operation.

'Ihe pairs I0 of connected slider wings are then arranged in groups of two, as illustrated in Fig. 18, with the rails facing each other and the diamond shaped projections 60 in registra- Said diamond shaped projections are abutted and welded together (Fig. 17) It will be noted that by disposing the attaching portions 55 of the wing blanks 04 in proximity, we are able in a single welding operation involving but a pair of electrodes to simultaneously weld together four slider wings and form a slider blank 09 comprising a set of two sliders integrally connected by a piece-248 of material comprising a pair of links 02 welded to each other. The slider blanks 00 are not to be confused with the slider wing blanks 04 or the pair 10 of completely fashioned slider wings.

Finally, the connected pair of sliders in a blank 00 is severed (Fig. 18) and preferably at the same time sizing tools are inserted between the slider wings 22 and 30, to dispose them in parallel properly spaced relationship and align the rails 38.

Although our method has been described with regard to integrally connected pairs 18, it will be appreciated that three or more completely fashioned slider wings may be included in the set of integrally connected wings which are severed from the end of the formed strip and welded to carry out the operations above described. We-

have illustrated and will nowdescribe in detail one specific form of apparatus which we have found will operate in a highly satisfactory and consistent manner.

In Figs. 1 through 6, there is shown apparatus 00 for operating upon a strip 52 of rough wing blanks 04 to raise rails 00 along the lateral margins thereof, .and at the same time form up the diamond shaped projection 00 from the link 02 connecting adJacent wing blanks 54 and from the material 00 in said'connected blanks. This apparatus, it will be seen, operates upon pairs of connected wing blanks.

The apparatus comprises a lower stationary die block 02 mounted upon a bed plate 04. The central portion of said die block is cut away to provide a pair of opposed rectangular recesses 00 whose corners near the center of the die block are cut away as at 00 to conform exactly to the shape of the edges 00 on the strip 02. Pilot posts 00 carried by a reciprocating head (not shown) cooperate with the said recesses 00 to insure proper registration of the pair 60 of wing blanks being worked in the apparatus 00.

slidably mounted in the die block 02 intermediate the recesses 00 is a pad 02 centrally apertured at 04. The die block 02 is recessed from the top face to the bottom face thereof, to receive said sliding pad 02. This pad conforms in shape to the plan profile of a pair of slider wings 32 and 30 having a link 02 connecting the same between their diverging channel portions. The shape of the central aperture 94 in the pad conforms to the plan profile of the diamond shaped rojection 40.

Slidably and snugly received in said aperture 04 is a post 00, whose upper surface 08 is of the same shape as the-outer surface of the diamond shaped projection 08. Said post is fixedly mounted by means of a bolt I00 in the bed plate 04, and is therefore stationary with respect to the die block 82, but movable relative to the pad 02.

In order to urge the pad 92 normally in an upward direction, a recess I02 is provided in the block 04, the lower enlarged ends I04 of the pad 92 being disposed in said recess. These enlarged ends, when the pad is in its uppermost position, clear the bottom wall I06 of the recess I02 by an amount at least equal to the movement of'the said pad during operation of the apparatus 80.

The upper surface of said ends I04 butt up against the bottom of the block 82 to limit upward movement of the pad 92. v

A pair 'of pins I08 slidably mounted in holes II 0 in the bed plate 84 press against the lower surfaces of the enlarged ends I04. The bottoms of these pins are embedded in a plate I I2. This plate is disposed beneath the lower surface of the bed plate 8-; and is housed in a jacket H4 attached to the bed plate 84. Inside of the jacket is a recess 6 underlying the plate I I2. A cylindrical rubber member I I8 in said recess urges the .plate I I2 and pad 92 to their uppermost position.

I 88. in order to accommodate the walls of the projection 88.

Suitable feeding means, not shown, is provided to intermittently advance the strip 82 between strokes of the punch I22. As feeding mechanisms common to the art are not accurate in their movement, we also preferably bevel ofl the lower edges I 28 of the guiding posts 88 in order to exactly position the strip 82 prior to the rail drawing operation. When the strip 82 is advanced, it preferably lies on the upper surface of the die block 32 and is guided in such position by a combined guide and stripper plate I28.

In Figs. 7 through 10 there is shown a machine I38 for reducing the rails 38 drawn to an oversize height by the apparatus 88. This machine I38 includes a pair of milling cutters I32 and I34 which are mounted for rotation about a common axis on an arbor (not shown). The cutters I32 and I34 are of sufficient width and are so spaced apart that when a strip 18 of semi-finished slider wing blanks is passed therebeneath, each cutter will mill the upper roughened surface 88 of a rail 38 on one side of a wing blank 84 to the desired height.

In order to accurately guide the strip 18 be neath the milling cutters I32 and I 34, the following means is provided. A pair of lugs I38 project from the bed plate I38 of the milling machine and support between them a shaft I48 on which is pivotally mounted an elongated guide block 982. The upper surface of said block has a longitudinal groove I44 which is slightly wider than the maximum width of the strip 18. Said groove lies symmetrically beneath the milling cutters I32 and I34 (Fig. 10). The entrance end of the groove may be fiared out as at I48 (Figs; '7 and 8) to facilitate passage of the strip.

.A narrow pilot strip I48, best shown in Fig. 18 holds the strip 18 in the groove I44. The bottom surface of the pilot strip is centrally cut away to form an elongated groove I58 intermediate the flanges I62. Said groove I58 is preferably slightly wider than the diamond-shaped projection 88, and the thickness of flanges I62 is such that their outer walls will not quite be in rubbing engagement with the inside of the rails 38. The inner corners of the flanges I62 may be rounded, as at I84, to conform to the fillet on the slider adjacent the base of the diamond-shaped projection 88. In this manner, it will be seen that a close and accurate control is maintained over the position of the strip 18 as it passes beneath the milling cutters I32 and I34.

Suitable means, such as plates I88, hold the guide strip I48 in position. Cover plates I88 are bolted to the bed plate I38 to conceal the portions of the groove I44 exposed by the pilot strip I48. Each of said cover plates I88 may be recessed at I18 where they overlie the groove I44 in order to provide sumcient room for passage of the strip 18. The cover plates I68 may also be arcuately cut away to form a groove I12 in which the milling cutters I32 and I34 set. The extreme lower end of these grooves are apertured at I14 to permit the milling cutters to project through the plates I88 and work on the strip 18' as it passes through the machine I38.

Plates I18 laterally overlie edge portions of the groove I44 rearwardly of the plates I88 so as to keep the strip 18 in the groove I44 until the strip leaves the machine I38.

Means may also be provided to vertically adjust the position of the guide block I42 relative to the milling cutters I32 and I34 and to thereby control the height of the milled rails 38. Such means comprises a pair of unthreaded elongated apertures I88 disposed on each side of a threaded aperture I18, all of said apertures being disposed remotely of the shaft I48. 1

A bolt I82 is threadediy received in the tapped aperture I18, and bolts I84 freely pass through the unthreaded apertures I88 and are threadedly received in tappedholes I88 in the bed plate I38. The bolts I84 have enlarged heads I88 adapted to abut against the upper surface of the guide block I42. The entire portion of the guide block where the bolts I82 and I84 are disposed may be cut away, so that the tops of said bolts will clear the bottom of the strip 18 being fed through the apparatus I38.

In order to vary the elevation of the strip 18 relative to the milling cutters I32 and I34, it is merely necessary to loosen the bolt I84, adjust the bolts I82 until the desired elevation of the strip 18 is reached, and then tighten the bolt I84 until its headlocks against the block I42. Any suitable means, not shown. may be provided to continuously feed the strip 18 through the said apparatus I38.

Subsequent to reducing the height of the rails 38, the strip 18 is passed to an apparatus I38 (Figs. 11-15) in which bails 34 are formed on every other wing blank 54 and pairs 18 of finished slider wings 32 and 38 successively severed from the end of the strip. Said apparatus com- .prises a reciprocating press having a stationary bed plate I32 and moving head I94. Suitable intermittent feeding means (not shown) are provided to advance thestrip I8 between strokes of the head and a pilot post I88 of the same outline as the posts 98 accurately locates the strip 18 before any operations are performed thereon. A die block I81 is fixedly mounted on the bed plate.

A pressure pad I88 is carried by the head I94 on rods 288. Said pad is mounted for limited translatory movement axially of said. rods 288 and is urged to a position farthest from the head I 84 by heavy compression springs 282. The under surface of the pad I98 is provided, as shown in Fig. lid, with a plurality of ridges 284, 288- and 288. These ridges are so shaped, positioned and dimensioned that they fit between the rails 38 of slider wing blanks on the strip 18 and around the projections 88. Since in the illustrated embodiment of our invention the indenting means lies immediately adjacent the lug shearing means (both such means to be soon described), said ridges are fashioned for reception between the rails of two adjacent pairs 88 of slider wing blanks and at least the portion of the rails of said wing blanks that adjoins the part of two wings on which lug shearing and indenting is performed. It will thus be apparent that the upper and lower surfaces of a slider wing blank 54 are tightly clamped between the pad I88 and the die block I81 to accurately define the horizontal position of said blank during lug shearing and indenting operations in the apparatus I88.

The pressure pad I88 has a large hole 2I8 opening at its upper surface. Coaxial with said 8,884,146 race-is a rectangular-recess m which thelowersurfaceofthepadwiththeholeill. Alugshearingpunch Illfixedtothehead ill has lower end II! substantially similar in shape tothelug lltobestruckfromasliderwing blank. The operative portion 2|! of the punch is in ali nment with the aperture ill and moves therethrough during the latter portion of the downstroke of the punch when the pressure pad I has already come into contact with the upper surface of a wing blank.

An aperture III is provided in the die block III in registry with the punch ill to accommodate the lug l2 sheared from a slider wing blank,

The means for indenting the lug 12 so as to provide a web I lies immediately adjacent the lug shearing punch and is thus positioned to act upon a lug I! immediately after the same has been sheared and the strip advanced a distance equal to a pair of wing blanks 54. Said indenting means comprises a pair of dies 220 mounted for reciprocation transversely of the direction of travel of the strip HI, being slidably received in horizontal grooves 222 in the die block Ill. Said dies 22!! are reciprocated towards and away from each other upon movement of the head I" by cams 224 which operate in sloped apertures 22' in the dies.

The operative portion of the dies 220 comprises a pair of fingers 228 having an arcuately proilled flat tip 230 of the shape of the web 50. The underside 232 of the fingers. is conically flared away from the tip 230 at an angle equal to the angle between the under surface of the ball strap and the web Ill (see Fig. 14).

The part of the die block I81 cooperating with the dies 220 is recessed to provide a cavity 234 which is negatively contoured to the desired shape of the ball 34, whereby when the indenting dies I20 catch the lug l2 therebetween it will be impossible, even if the dies are incorrectly positioned, to force a lug away from a slider wing blank suillciently to break of! an end 10 thereof which holds the lug to said wingblank. The die block it! is cut away at 238 on both sides of the cavity 234 to accommodate the flared undersurface 232 of the die lingers 220.

A shearing tool 238 is also mounted on the head I. Said tool cooperates with a shearing anvil comprising an aperture 240 in the die block I" to successively cut of! pairs 18 of finished slider wings from the end of the strip II. A suitably formed plate 242 guides the strip 10 in its passage through the apparatus I80 and also serves to strip the wings from the punch 2 I 4 and shearing tool 238 during the upward stroke of the head I.

The welding apparatus schematically indicated in Fig. 17 may be of any form suitable for the purpose. Said apparatus comprises a pair of spot welding electrodes 2 and holding means (not shown) to position two pairs 18 of finished slider wings, as illustrated in said figure; that is, with the rails 38 facing each other and with an upper wing 30 not having a bail facing a lower wing 32 provided with a bail.

After the welding takes place, the two sliders are joined by the piece 248 of material comprising a pair of links 62 welded to each other.

Also, during the welding operation the slider wingblanks may be slightly angularly moved out of parallelism. To separate the sliders 30 from each other and to properly position the wing blanks, we provide an apparatus 248 (Figs. 18 and 19) which comprises a reciprocating press having a headlllonwhichiscarrledapunch Illanda bedplate Ill onwhichisstationarily mounted a die block I". Said-blockisrectangularlyrccessedat Illtoslidinglyreoeiveapairofpilot posts I which accurately position a-pair of welded sliders prior to separating the same.

Disposedoneachsideoftherecessfllarea pair of cut-outs 282 in which a pair of sliders is adapted to be positioned. The .walls of the cutouts which lead towards the recess 2 are angularlyinclinedtoconformtotheangleofslider wings defining the diverging channels 40. The cut-outs 262 are made deep enou h to substantially fully receive the welded-together pairs of sliders 30. Elongated narrow grooves 264 are provided in each of the cut-outs 282 and in the head 250 to receive the bails it regardless of how the sliders are positioned. A finger 2" proiects forwardly into the recess from each one of the cut-outs 262 to provide a supporting anvil for the operative portion 268 of the punch 252.

Said portion 268 is concavely shaped, as illustrated, to conform to the desired outline of the free end of the platform 44.

While the punch 25! is descending, sizing plates 210 are moved inwardly into the entrance channel of each of the sliders 30. Said plates may be actuated from the head 250 by any suitable means, such as for example a vertical cam and inclined aperture, similar to the cam and aperture employed for actuating the indenting dies 220. The ends of the plates 2'"! are bifurcated tovform diverging fingers 212 shaped to the desired inner contour of a portion of the channels 40.

When the head 250 has fully descended, it will clamp the pairs of sliders 30 between the said head and the die block 256, with the fingers 210 disposed inside of the slider tothus accurately size the sliders to their desired ultimate shape.

While this sizing operation is of aid in bringing the slider to its final correct size and shape, the

slider has nevertheless already been completely fashioned and said sizing operation is not embraced within the term forming as used herein.

It willthus be seen that there is provided a device and method for making the same in which the several objects of thisinvention are achieved, and which is well adapted to meet the conditions of practical use.

As various possible embodiments might be made of the above invention, and as various changes might be made in the embodiments above set forth, it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illus-' trative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described our invention, we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent: 7

1. A method of making sliders of the character described comprising forming a set of a predetermined number of completely fashioned integrally connected wings, each wing having a plane body portion with parallel lateral edges adjacent one end and diverging lateral edges adjacent the other end, rails of uniform and predetermined height running along said lateral edges and extending away from the plane of said body portion, and attaching portions raised above said body and extending in the same direction as said rails, each attaching portion lying immediately adjacent and being integrally connected .to another attaching portion, said attaching portions being disposed in predetermined relationship in said set; to g a second set of similar completely fashion integrally connected wings of like number each having attaching portions occupyin the same relative position therein as the first named attaching portions occupy in the first set; then arranging said sets with the attaching portions in alignment and with the rails opposed; then welding together said attaching portions to form a set of completely fashioned integrally connected sliders; and finally separating said sliders from each other to provide completely fashioned sliders requiring no further forming operations.

2. A method of making sliders of the character described comprising forming a pair of completely fashioned wings, each wing having a plane body portion with parallel lateral edges adjacent one end and diverging lateral edges adjacent the other end, rails of uniform and predetermined height running along said lateral edges and extending away from the plane of saidbody portion, and attaching portions raised above said body portion, and attaching portions raised above body and extending in the same direction as said 1 rails, each attaching portion lying immediately adjacent and being integrally connected to another attaching portion by a link, said wings being disposed in predetermined position relative to one another; forming a second pair of similarly relatively disposed completely fashioned wings having similarly arranged attaching portions and links; then arranging said pairs with the wings and attaching portions in registration; then simultaneously welding matched attaching portions to form a pair of completely fashioned integrally connected sliders; and finally cutting away the connecting links to separate the sliders from each other and provide completely fashioned sliders requiring no further forming operations.

3. A method of making sliders of the character described comprising forming along strip of completely fashioned integrally connected wings having attaching portions, each of said wings including a plane body portion with parallel lateral edges adjacent one end and diverging lateral edges adjacent the other end, rails of uniform and predetermined height running along said lateral edges and extending away from the plane of said body portion, and attaching portions raised above said body and extending in the same direction as said rails, each attaching portion lying immediately adjacent and being integrally connected to another attaching portion; cutting oif a pair of wings whose attaching portions are adjacently disposed; then cutting off a second pair of wings whose attaching portion are similarly adjacently disposed; then arranging said pairs of wings with the attaching portions in registration; then unitarily joining matched attaching portions to form a pair of completely fashioned integrally connected sliders; and finally separating said sliders from each other to provide completely fashioned sliders requiring no further forming operations.

4. A method of making sliders of the character described comprising forming a long strip of completely fashioned integrally connected wings having attaching portions, each of said wings including a plane body portion with parallel lateral edges adjacent one end and diverging lateral edges adjacent the other end, rails of uniform and predetermined height running along said lateral edges and extending away from the plane of said as said rails, each attaching portion lying immediately adjacent and being integrally connected to another attaching portion; cutting off a pair of wings whose attaching portions are adjacently disposed; then cutting of! a second pair of wings whose attaching portions are similarly adjacently disposed; then arranging said pairs of wings with the attaching portions in-registration; then unitarily joining matched attaching portions to form a pair of completely fashioned integrally connected sliders; then separating said sliders from each other to provide completely fashioned sliders requiring no further forming operations; and

finally sizing the inner surfaces of the separated sliders.

5. In a method of making sliders for slide fasteners from sets including completely fashioned sliders which are integrally connected to each other, that improvement comprising the steps of separating said sliders from each other, and sizing the inner surfaces of the separated sliders.

6. In a method of making sliders for slide fasteners from sets including completely fashioned sliders which are integrally connected to each other, that improvement comprising the steps of separating said sliders from each other, and

sizing the inner surfaces of the sliders during separation.

7. An apparatus for'manufacturing sliders for slide fasteners from blanks comprising two pairs of spaced parallel completely fashioned slide fastener wings each interconnected by a neck and each having rails running along their lateral edges, the necks :being integrally connected to each other, said apparatus comprising means to separate the pairs of spaced parallel wings at the necks to form a pair of completely fashioned sliders separated from each other, means to size said pairs of sliders, said sizing means including members'mounted to enter one between the wings of each slider from a point remote from the neck associated with such slider, said sizing means also including means to clamp said wings against said members so as to dispose said wings in parallel relationship and align the rails, and a common operating means to actuate said separating and sizing means.

8. An apparatus for manufacturing sliders for slide fasteners from blanks comprising two pairs of spaced parallel completely fashioned slide fastener wings each interconnected by a neck and. each having rails running along their lateral edges, the necks being integrally connected to each other, said apparatus comprising means to separate the pairs of spaced parallel wings at the necks to form a pair of completely fashioned sliders separated from each other, means to size said pairs of sliders, said sizing means including members mounted to enter one between the wings of each slider from a point remote from the neck associated with such slider, said sizing means. also including means to clamp said wings against said members so as to dispose said wings in parallel relationship and align the rails, and a common operating means to simultaneously actuate said separating and sizing means.

. MAURICE VOI' I'Y.

GEORGE A. GRIFFI'I'HS. 

